Naruto Five Years of Waiting
by auikimaya
Summary: Five years have passed since the war against Akatsuki finally ended. The world is on a pleasant period of peace, and the village have come to work together to hold to that peace. In the middle of this times, our dear hero finally is living his dream
1. Chapter 1

Naruto - Five years of waiting (part 1)

Naruto belongs to kishimoto ©

Story by Juan Manuel Suarez (me of course)

Gramar by Greatkingrat88

The sun was shining, like it always did. The soft wind blew gently between the valley and the Hokage monument. The sky was so clear; it made people take a deep breath and say: "God, what a beautiful day!"

They all loved this place, because it was the only home they ever knew. To think that those terrible events five years ago were nothing but a bad dream was difficult; but they all knew the awful truth: Five years ago, the akatsuki leader had all but destroyed the village in his quest for peace. Five years ago, many loved ones had been lost. Five years ago, a crater had taken the place of most of their beloved home, taking away almost every single one of their dreams and hopes. Five years ago, their lives started again when someone took all their lost dreams and made them real. Five years ago, their loved ones return to the life. Five years ago, a hero was born.

The village hidden in the leaves had never enjoyed such a long-lasting peace. Thanks to the labour of all their brave and loyal shinobi, the village was reborn, stronger than ever. Most citizens were happy, and tried their best to improve all their lives, and all this was thanks to the example of their beautiful and stubborn leader. A woman who had refused to die until all the damage that Pain caused her village was repaired. The last of the three sannin: Senju Tsunade, who at this very moment was in a meeting with the Elders of the village.

"Why are you being so stubborn? He has earned it." The aging woman argued, trying her best to persuade the elders into accepting her decision.

"We know that, Tsunade-hime." One replied, "But he is far too young, immature and rash to be ready for this yet. Besides, we know the motherly feelings you hold for him, so the nomination is hardly impartial.".

These elders were starting to anger her. It was no secret to anybody in Konoha- anyone with a higher level of political awareness, at least- that the two elders were often contesting and challenging her will, often trying to prove her wrong, that her decisions were unwise- particularly when it was about this jonin.

"I don't know how our daimyo-sama feels, but personally, I like the option of him being the new hokage". Tsunade's first official spoke calm and quiet like always. He was one of the most respectable shinobi in all the land of fire, and his name was a legend. "He earned the chunin and jonin rank in just a couple of years. In the last five years, he has performed more missions than all the chunin teams put together, and all above the C rank. He's a great leader, and one of the most valuable shinobi in this village. And all of Konoha loves him"

"Is that what you think, Hatake?" the Daimyo said sternly "because I respect your opinion, seeing as how you are the jonin commander."

Kakashi took a minute to choose his words, and then said:  
"I appreciate your trust in me, Daimyo-sama. I was his old jonin sensei, and I think that I know him well enough- I'm sure that he will be an excellent hokage."

"Well, then it is decided!" The daimyo of the land of fire said, satisfied that the council meeting was finally over. The Two Elders seemed to be disappointed, unsurprisingly. "As of next week, Uzumaki Naruto, son of the yondaime hokage, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina; student and heir of the great Sannin Jiraiya, will become the seventh Lord Hokage!"

* * *

Meanwhile, by the gates of Konoha, a group of three young chunin and a jonin were entering to their beloved home, after being away on a mission for two weeks.

"Oh man, I'm so tired! It's good to be back in Konoha. Now let's go to eat something, -kore!!" Konohamaru was as loud as he always was after finishing a mission. His loud proclamation made his captain smile. He was a lot like he had been when he was younger.

"Konohamaru-kun, please be patient. We have to go report, to Tsunade-sama, isn't that right, Udon?" As always, Moegi was trying to put Konohamaru in his place, and looked to her teammate for support. She was a good kunoichi, and she was not comfortable acting without the approval of her captain.

"Moegi is right. Since we're Chunin, we must report to the hokage, in order to keep her informed of all the aspects of our mission. Ebisu-sensei taught us that, and you know it, Konohamaru." Udon, the sleepy-head, was as adherent to protocol as ever. He was a clever enough boy, and always tried to act as his jonin-sensei, Ebisu, had taught him.

"Okay, cut it out guys. Each one of you has a point." The blonde captain- who always drew everybody's attention with the long, orange sage coat he wore over his jonin uniform- finally stopped reading his favorite novel, and started to talk. "Moegi and Udon are right. Our duty is to report to Tsunade-baachan immediately after we finish a mission. However, it's not necessary for all of us to go. I mean, it was a simple B-rank mission, and there weren't any complications, so I say that only two of us will have to report to the Hokage, and the other two can go to have a bite to eat, -ttebayo." The young jonin said, while Konohamaru smiled happily at his fellow teammates.

"The boss is right, two of us will be going to the Hokage's office, and two of us are going to dinner, -kore!" Udon and Moegi looked at him, upset. It was well known to them that there was a level of friendship between Konohamaru and their captain that neither of them had.

"Well, since all of you seems to be in agreement on that, Konohamaru and I will be going to talk with Tsunade-baachan."

Konohamaru's smile quickly vanished as he heard is captain's order.

"W-wait, are you serious?"

"Of course I am, Konohamaru. Udon, Moegi, You're dismissed"

The two others members of the team made a big, mocking smile to Konohamaru, who seemed more amazed at his friend's order. "As you order, Naruto-Taicho." They said sullenly, and both disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Ok, explain to me again: why do I have to go with you while Moegi and Udon go for dinner? I mean, of the three of us, I did the most in this mission, remember?" Konohamaru was almost upset with brother-like friend, who kept reading his favourite book.

"Konohamaru, your abilities are far beyond chunin level. You can perform different earth release jutsu, and you're starting to improve with the fire release. Do you know why you still aren't a jonin?" Naruto, who was a last minute replacement to Ebisu, since he had been sent out on another mission, was trying to prove a point in his close friend.

"It's because I'm loud and reckless, and because I'm not a level-headed ninja, right?" Konohamaru said with a shameful look on his face.

"That's not it at all, Konohamaru." Naruto sounded almost upset about his friend's words. He hated seeing people put themselves down. "You're strong enough to be a jonin, but you have to learn to be a leader before that comes. Moegi and Udon looks up to you. They trust in you enough to give their lives in order to protect you. That's a big responsibility, Konohamaru, and you must not take it lightly and…"

For a moment, Naruto look at Konohamaru's face. He had seen that face before, so many times. Is the face that he used to make; when someone tells him that he was just a child, that he wasn't a good enough ninja. Is the face that he used to make back in those days when the people look at him like some kind of monster. He just hated those memories.

Naruto knocked on his own head for what he was doing. As his captain, he can scold Konohamaru, but he doesn't need to do it so badly. He used to be just like him.

"Ok, I'm sorry. After we go to Tsunade-baachan's office, I'll take you to Ichiraku's ramen bar. Of course, I'll pay, -ttebayo" Naruto's big smile made Konohamaru feel a little better- he couldn't help but trust in his replacement jonin captain and friend.

"Thanks Naruto-niichan."

"Well, well. You sound just like a real sensei, Naruto" A sweet female voice came. It was two Kunoichi; one of which always made Naruto feel a little uneasy. Eight years earlier, he had made a promise to her. He had sworn he would bring back someone important to her. And just three years after he made that promise, he had killed that person, right in front of her eyes. Even though she forgave him a long time ago, he still felt that he had failed her.

"You're going to Tsunade-sama's office, right? We're going somewhere near to there, so let us join you." Sakura said in a friendly tone. Naruto was her most dear friend and she felt really comfortable around him. The other Kunoichi was just a genin, and Sakura's student, who was learning the Medic arts under her tutelage. Naruto could not help noticing that her face looked awfully red. She always seemed so shy around Naruto, and he never understood why. He stooped, and with a big and gentle smile he said:

"Maho-chan, would you join us?" Maho's face turned redder than it already was, and she turned tail and ran.

" W-wait, Maho-chan!" He shouted. "Aahh, crap, why is she always like that around me? I don't remember doing anything to hurt or scare her, -ttebayo."

Konohamaru and Sakura looked at each other, and started giggling.

"And that's the proof that you haven't grow up- you still don't get it. It's just like back then, when you didn't see Hinata´s feelings." Sakura said to him, amused. To her, Naruto was still the immature kid that she knew back from her time with team seven.

"Yeah, she's right, Naruto-niichan. In this moment, you're the most popular Konoha ninja with the female population. You're such a heartbreaker, -kore!" Konohamaru exclaimed loudly, as he laughed at the naiveté of his captain.

"Y-You're saying that she has a crush on me?" Naruto's amazement seemed to reach a whole new level, and his friends just couldn't stop laughing.

"Almost all the girls in Konoha have a crush on you, Naruto. Now, come on, it's past noon already. I'll go with you to Tsunade-sama's office, now that Mr. Heartbreaker has scared my student away." Sakura was enjoying Naruto's surprise, but none of them had any clue that this afternoon held a much greater surprise for him.

"Well, let's keep going. I want to finish this as quickly as I can. I mean, I've had enough revelations for one afternoon. Besides, I wanna know if my girlfriend's team has come home yet, -ttebayo." Naruto was trying to put himself back in his shoes. "Sakura, Konohamaru, Let's go"

In unison, they both answered: "Hai, Naruto-Taicho!"

TO BE CONTINUED....


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto - Five years of waiting (part 2)

Naruto belongs to kishimoto ©

Story by Juan Manuel Suarez (me of course)  
Grammar by Greatkingrat88 (Thanks man)

Slowly, the afternoon was passing by. There had been no trouble yet, and the citizens were enjoying themselves. The weather was extraordinarily good, and the only wind there was, was a gentle breeze, which only made the weather more comfortable. Many of the villagers remembered the old days when the Third was still alive, and felt sure that he would be proud of what his successors had done for the village so far. Particularly that problematic and hyperactive boy, who used to be the headache of all the Konoha, and now, was their most beloved hero.

During this pleasant afternoon, three young ninja were on their way to the Hokage's office. Konohamaru was boasting his latest achievements from his last mission to Sakura, while Naruto seemed to be really enjoying his lecture.

"Ok, now I'm curious. What are you reading, Naruto?" One of the things that make Sakura feel really proud f herself was the fact that between herself and Sai, she had managed to convince Naruto to take up reading. They had convinced him, that if he really wanted to be the next Hokage, he needed to be a more learned person, and the only way for him to be just a little more learned was reading.

"Ah, this? This is my favorite novel. I really love it; it is one of the books that ero-sennin wrote a long time ago and…" Naruto's explanation was suddenly interrupted by an amazingly strong punch right to his face. He went flying several meters, and crushed into a wall.

"S-Sakura-chan, why did you hit me so hard? I didn't say anything stupid this time, -ttebayo!". Naruto said loudly, rubbing his aching cheek. He looked up to see his old friend, and a wave of fear flooded all his body. He knew perfectly well that each time that Sakura gave him that glare of death; he was in a big trouble.

"You didn't say anything stupid? Then why don't you look at that pervy novel that you have in your hands! Even if it belongs to Jiraiya-sama, it stills an erotic novel, YOU PERVERT!!"

Sakura was really upset. It wasn't the novel in itself, but the fact, it was just because she knew perfectly well how that Naruto, despite his heroics, still had some lecherous tendencies- and she would not stand for that.

"W-WAIT, YOU'RE WRONG SAKURA-CHAN. IT'S NOT ICHA ICHA, LOOK!"

Sakura's fist, which was about to come down on Naruto's face again, suddenly stopped mid-air as she read the title of the book.

"Tales of a Gutsy Ninja? I never heard about it before. So it's not related with the erotic novels that Kakashi-sensei used to read?" Sakura was starting to feel a little guilty about the strong punch that she gave to Naruto a moment ago.

"No, it has nothing to do with the Icha Icha works. It's a great story. Every time I read it, I feel as if ero-sennin was telling me his story again, -ttebayo!"

The glimmer in Naruto's eyes as he spoke of his mentor made Sakura and Konohamaru smile. Jiraiya had not just been Naruto's teacher, he was also like a grandfather figure to Naruto- in fact, he was actually his godfather. They knew how much Naruto missed him, and to see him with that pure smile made them both feel good.

"Ehm… I'm sorry for hitting you like that Naruto. Here, let me help you"  
Even though Sakura felt guilty about hitting Naruto like she did, she knew that it was just a matter of time before he said or did something stupid enough to earn a beating again. It was just the way that their friendship has always been, and none of them wanted to change that.

"Naah, its okay, Sakura-chan, don't worry about that little things, -ttebayo. Besides, I only read Icha Icha when I'm alone in my house, when no one can disturb me." Right after he said that, with a sly smile in his face, Naruto broke into a run towards the Hokage's office, with Sakura at his heels while Konohamaru pursued them both.

"NARUTO STOP, YOU PERVERT!"

* * *

"…So that's all you have to report? Reporting to me like that makes it almost sound like a boring mission." Tsunade smiled; satisfied that Konohamaru's team was just as efficient with Naruto as with his Jonin-sensei, Ebisu.

"Yeah, even though it was a B-ranked mission, it was kind of boring. At least we already know why Naruto-niichan always works without a team. He can be an army by his own, -kore!" Konohamaru said, finishing his report to the leader of his village. It has been just like Naruto has said; it was a short and quick report for an "easy" B-ranked mission.

"Well, if you don't have anything else to report, then you're dismissed. Naruto, can I have a word with you in private? Shizune, you can stay. You already know what we are going to talk about." Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, nodded to her sensei and boss.

"Well, I have to go and find Maho-chan. She still has some things to do. Will you join me, Konohamaru-kun?" Sakura said to the young chunin, while she walked out the door.

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan. Hey, Boss, since you'll be a little busy today, why don't you take me out for ramen tomorrow?" Konohamaru said, right before jumping out of the room, closing the door behind Sakura and him. Since always, Konohamaru hadn't been the kind of guy to pass up on an opportunity for free food, just like Naruto.

"Well, baa-chan, how can I be helpful?" Even though the both of them got along well, Naruto knew that Tsunade did not like it much when he called her 'grandma', and he just loved to tease her.

"That isn't going to work, Naruto. At least not until I gave you the big news. I think you know pretty well what special date is coming up next week, don't you?"

Naruto's smile quickly disappeared. Of course he knew what was going to happen the next week. He had lived fearing that day in all his twenty-one years in life. Back in his childhood years, that used to be the worst day of the year to him.

"It's the anniversary of the attack of the fox, the tribute to all who died that day, the memorial ceremony in honor to the fourth Hokage, my father, who gave his life to protect us from the kyuubi no yoko and..."

Tsunade stopped Naruto, gently placing a finger in his mouth. "And more important that all, it's your twenty-first birthday, right?"

"C'mon, baa-chan, you know damn well that just a few people in this village remember that. They just remember only the pain that the kyuubi caused them those twenty-one years ago. It's difficult enough for them to forget all they had lost, and I don't blame them." Naruto was trying not to sound too sad about that, but he could not fool these two women, who had seen him grow up to be a man.

"We know that, Naruto-kun, but that's exactly why Tsunade-sama wants you to hear what she is going to do, so please sit down and listen." Shizune was worried about Naruto's reaction. She too was close to Naruto; if Tsunade was like a kind of grandmother to him, Shizune was like an older sister.

"Okay, Shizune-nee-chan."

Naruto took a seat.

"Naruto, I'm perfectly aware of that situation, and I want to change that. You have done a lot for this village, and for the entire shinobi world. You're respected now, but even so, that date seems to make them look at you in trepidation, as if you would turn into the beast just because of it is the anniversary of that day. But, I've been thinking of a solution for that, and I finally found something that could work."  
Tsunade seemed a little excited now, about whatever she was thinking, and Naruto found himself wanting to know why.

"Well then, tell me what you have in mind! You wanted to speak to me in private, so what are you waiting for?" Naruto's excitement suddenly died down when he felt Shizune's hand on his shoulder, and saw the look on her face.

"It's not that simple, Naruto-kun. Please don't interrupt Tsunade-sama while she's talking."

Somehow, Shizune seemed… sad.

"As you, Sakura and Shizune perfectly knows, I'm not going to be around forever. I used my Mitotic Regeneration quite heavily when Pain invaded, and my life has become severely shortened because of this. As you know I don't have more than a couple of months." Tsunade said in a serious tone, and Naruto and Shizune donw their heads. Tsunade has told them a year ago her current situation, and remember it makes them feel useless. There was nothing they could do.

"Hey! Why the long faces??" Tsunade seemed anything but upset. Even though she was talking about her unavoidable death, she was not sad or frightened. She had long since accepted that she would die early, and that there was no helping it. She would rest peacefully, far away of all the conflicts of her ancestors, knowing she had fulfilled her duty as Hokage. She would, indeed, be the first Hokage to die a somewhat natural death in all the history of Konoha- she could have done worse by far.

"True, I won't live much longer. But that doesn't bother me at all. I've lived enough to see many of my loved ones die; to know how hard is to be a good leader. Even though I've made decisions I regret, I'm more than satisfied with the result of all what I've achieved in life. I need a rest before my final goodbye to this world. I want to live a peaceful, easy life for a while, and then I'll join Jiraiya, Dan and Nawaki after all this time."

Tsunade's words made both him and Shizune so heart-wrenchingly sad. She seemed so nostalgic every time she talked about her loved ones.

"But I can't leave just yet. I have to make sure that this village will be in good hands once I'm gone. Since you became a jonin, I've been busy trying talking the village council into accepting my successor, about the person who has to succeed me, who should inherit the will of fire. The Elders, though, seemed hell-bent on denying my choice my heir. Well, after two long years of discussions, we finally convinced our daimyo to accept the person I chose to be the next Hokage!"  
Tsunade seemed spirited again, excited, as Naruto was starting to feel that his breath was beginning to fail him.

"For that reason, Uzumaki Naruto, I can finally after five long years of waiting, officially appoints you as my successor: the seventh Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

Naruto felt for a second as if he was just dreaming.

TO BE CONTINUE....


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto - Five years of waiting (part 3)

Naruto belongs to kishimoto ©

Story by Juan Manuel Suarez (me of course)  
Grammar by greatkingrat88 (thanks a lot man, you're awesome)

The old stone monument was a trademark to Konoha. It had been there throughout the years; withstanding age, wars, catastrophes and above all, a particular blonde knucklehead shinobi and his pranks. The monument to the Hokage was the most impressive image in the whole village, and could be seen from almost anywhere in Konoha.

That sunny afternoon, a young medic Genin was admiring the monument, looking particularly, the face of the current village leader, the Legendary Sannin Tsunade. She had been a great support for the young kunoichi through the years: She was the one who convince her parents to let her become in a Medic Ninja, when the tradition of her clan was to raise warriors; she was the one who assigned her to Team 5 and put Sakura Haruno, one of the most talented, most remarkable Medic-nin in all Konoha, as her jonin-sensei. The young kunoichi was deeply grateful to the fifth Hokage.

"I finally found you, Maho-chan. Why did you leave so fast? You had me worried."  
A soft and familiar voice came right behind Maho. She had been training with her sensei for almost six months now, and she could recognize Sakura's voice easily.

"Sorry, Sakura-sensei, but I can't help but feel shy around Naruto-taicho. When I was still in the academy, they always talked about the way he saved the village and became a hero. Everybody wants to be close to him, and I'm no exception. It's just that he is such a genius-"

Maho's comment was suddenly interrupted. Her sensei has laughing with energy that she had never seen. Sure, Sakura-sensei always was happy, but she has never seen her in such a jolly mood.

After a couple of minutes, her fit of laughter died down, and Sakura finally calmed herself and looked again to her student. She spoke again, chuckling a little.

"Naruto, a genius! You're really funny sometimes, Maho-chan. Listen, do you think that Naruto is a genius because of his abilities?" Maho nodded. "Well, the truth is that when we were kids, he was anything but a good ninja. He was the dead last in our class! Actually, I remember that time when we were supposed to do a regular clone, which was a request for us to pass the genin exams. Naruto failed so badly, and it was so funny!"

Sakura started to laugh again, remembering that old anecdote of her best friend. Her student couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had the privilege of having seen Naruto in action a couple of times. He seemed just too amazing; so surprisingly fast, so strong, using a considerable number of powerful jutsu with ease, and he had more chakra than anybody she knew. So, how could he be the worst student in his class?

Sakura sensed her student's confusion, so she calmed herself again. While she kept chuckling, she proceeded to explain: "He was such a terrible ninja back then, and yet he somehow became what he is now. It was nothing to do with his lineage, or some kind of mystic force within him, although it helps a little. He became a strong ninja because he never gave up, and never went back on his word. He trains more than anyone, pushing himself to his limits just to be able to become strong enough to protect all his friends. If you think he's a genius, then you're underestimating him. You really should follow his example, to become a great ninja some day, Maho-chan"

Sakura's inspiring words made Maho's determination grow. "Sure thing, Sakura-sensei. I'll become strong, like you and Naruto-taicho".

* * *

At that moment, at another place not so far away from where Sakura and Maho were, a young ninja was receiving the best news in all his life. He had waited for this moment so long, and no words could describe how he felt in that moment. Joy, happiness, grief, uncertainty, doubt, bliss- all these emotions washed over him like a tsunami ravaging a shoreline. He did not know what to say, what to do.

"You haven't said a word for at least five minutes now. Is it that hard to digest, Naruto?" Tsunade asked playfully, while Shizune snorted a little. The blonde jonin was still speechless. "Naruto, I know perfectly well that the news of my life shortened is restraining your usual goofiness, but please, don't stop yourself from being happy. I have plenty of time to live, so please tell us, what do you think, Naruto-no-Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade's words were like an electric current passing trough his spine. It was the first time someone had called him Hokage. In one week's time, that would become his position in the village. His dream would come true, and everybody would be calling him 'Hokage-sama' in no time. The thought just made him all the more excited.

"W-w-will you just excuse me for a second? If you hear some unusual noises, then please just ignore them." Naruto managed, quickly walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. The strange behaviour that Naruto just exhibited made Shizune a little puzzled.

"Tsunade-sama, that was a bit strange, don't you think? Naruto-kun just heard about his designation as the new Hokage, but he also just knew about your sickness, so he must be feeling mixed emotions. You think that he will be fine? I should check hi-"

Shizune's speech was suddenly interrupted by a stream of very loud cries coming from just outside the office. Shizune, alarmed, was about to go outside, but Tsunade stopped her, and asked her to listen carefully to the stream of words:

"YAATTAAA! I DID IT! FINALLY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF TRAINING, MISSIONS AND STUFF, I DID IT, -DATTEBAYO! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY ACTUALLY CONVINCED THE COUNCIL TO ACCEPT ME AS THE NEW HOKAGE! OH, NOW THAT I THING ABOUT IT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE FACES OF THE TWO OLD BAGS WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT IT, -TTEBAYO! I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL HER ABOUT THIS! SHE'LL BE SO HAPPY! I NEED TO TELL EVERYBODY, -TTEBAYO!" Naruto's voice seemed more and more spirited, as he kept shouting at the top of his lungs.

"See, Shizune? There was nothing to be worried about. He's just fine, as always." Tsunade chuckled, while Shizune sigh in rest about her preoccupations about Naruto. As usual, there was nothing to be worried about.

It took all of five minutes for Naruto to calm down. When Naruto finally managed to do so, he came back to the office with a serious look on his face. He tried to conceal his joy, failing miserably. He coughed a little, and then said:

"How did you manage to convince the council? I mean, I know perfectly well that the Elders just hate me, so they wouldn't let me be the new Hokage even if I were the only choice."

Tsunade's grin did not hide her pride of having beaten the Elders. "Well, it wasn't easy, you know. I've been trying to convince them oh so many times to make them accept my decisions, but today we got tired of the traditional methods, so Kakashi attended to the meeting with a different plan."

Naruto knew perfectly well what she was talking about, and became proud that his old Team Sensei and his like-grandmother Village Leader would go as far as to do something like that, just to be sure that Konoha would be in good hands.

"So, Kakashi-sensei actually used THAT jutsu? Well, there's no wonder you managed to keep them under control- I never thought that you two would do something like using a forbidden jutsu against the old bags!"

"He just restrain them a little" Tsunade emphasized "The justu just prevent that them intimidate Daimyo-sama and manipulated his decision like Danzou did before. He didn't manipulated them or anything like that, so don't worry"

"...I see" Naruto nodded "But you know, when I become the Hokage, I will reform the council. I'll make sure that they'll be loyal and reliable, so there will be no problems with them anymore. But why don't we leave this for later? I have something to do right now."

Naruto smiled, walking out of the office again, intending to share the big news with everybody. Suddenly, he remembered something, and stopped abruptly.

"That's right; I was going to ask you about Team Aki. They haven't come back yet?"

Even though Naruto asked about the entire Team, Tsunade knew that he was more interested in that particular girl. "Oh don't worry, Naruto. They came back this noon, so at this moment, they should be with Kakashi, giving their report as we speak. The report itself wouldn't take too long for them, so she should be in her house in an hour or so. You should do something while you wait, like telling everybody the big news." Tsunade suggested to Naruto, as he walked out of the office.

"Nah, I think that the Hokage thing can wait `till tomorrow. Today, I'll just tell her. And while her team talks with Kakashi-sensei, I'll make a little visit to that pervert!"

Tsunade smiled sweetly upon hearing that.

* * *

"And you couldn't find any more evidence?" In the ANBU main headquarters, a report meeting was taking place. Team Aki, the most effective ANBU team in all Konoha, was presenting its last mission report.

"Sorry, sir. All the evidence had been carefully hidden or destroyed, so we just have the data that we recollected in the interrogation, Kakashi-senpai." The Team's leader spoke calmly to their direct superior. As Tsunade's first official, Kakashi was the commander of the ANBU, so he was the highest authority to Team Aki.

"Well, is not surprising. The remaining members of the Root are not stupid. We just have to be careful and continue this investigation in highest secrecy. We have to find their actual leader. Good job, Team Aki. You may take off your masks."

The four shinobi quickly stood up, and removed their ANBU masks. Four well known faces appeared in front of the Kakashi; faces that he had known since they were all just children.

"So we are dismissed, Kakashi-sensei?" The Medic of the team, Ino Yamanaka, spoke. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. She had been suggested to enter the ANBU by her father, who was part of the Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Department, and her clan's skill had become really useful to Team Aki in information gathering.

"I think that we are free to go now, Ino-san. Will you go with me to the hospital? I want to talk with Sakura-san before she gets sent on another mission." Rock Lee, the self-proclamed "Green beast of Konoha" was now the main force of the Team Aki. As always, his polite way of speaking singled him out. But he was another person when he was in a mission. He lived up to his nickname in battle, so he became a place in the ANBU squad and quickly gain a reputation that opened a place to him in the best ANBU team that Konoha had to offer.

"Lee-kun, Ino-chan, please, we must wait to be dismissed by Kakashi-senpai." A young, beautiful girl spoke, in a shy voice. Her long black hair hung down below her waist. Her purple eyes, her white skin, and her lovely face- she was nothing short of stunning. However, her beauty was nothing compared to her skill. Hinata Hyuuga was heiress to the most powerful clan in Konoha, and her Kekkei Genkai was perfect for scouting the area in a mission. She was the tracker of the Team Aki, but even so, she was known for another thing that had nothing to do with the ANBU, or the Hyuuga clan.

"I don't know Hinata-chan, but you must be more excited about going home. I mean, you haven't seen him for at least three weeks because of yours and his missions. But he's finally back and I think that he has big news." Kakashi joked, while the young Hyuuga heir blushed heavily. "And I'm not the one to dismiss you, so why don't you ask to your Captain?"

Everybody looked to the black haired young man. At first, he had not been well liked, since he had been part of the ANBU faction called "Root", and worked under Danzo, the man who contested the Third Hokage in his youth. Everybody had distrusted him because of his strange behaviour and his fake smile, and he had a hard time understanding people. But when he became part of the Team Kakashi, he started to feel close to the rest, and began to bond with his teammates, and made some friends for the first time in his life. Even though there was no way of telling, Sai was actually really happy. He stared at everybody with his typical poker face, then smiled without life, and said, as calmly as always "You all have things to do, so you are dismissed."

Team Aki smiled kindly to their Captain, right before speaking in unison:

"Hai, Sai-taicho." and then disappear.

"You as well must have something to do, Sai." Kakashi said to Sai, while he drew from his pocket the third volume of his favorite novel, Icha Icha Paradise.

"Not really, Kakashi-senpai. But I would like to have a drink with you, if you're free."  
Sai said, hanging his mask on his belt.

"Sorry, Sai, but I have something to do right now. Maybe next time. Well, see you later. All of you have this week off." Kakashi said, just before jumping out the window, walking away. Even though he had claimed that he was busy, the only reason he would not go with Sai, was because he was going to the memorial of the fallen. Since he was fourteen, he had always spent most of his free time at that memorial. But once there, he saw someone who did not often show in that place.

"Yo, Naruto."

* * *

After Naruto left Tsunade's office, he had gone straight to Ichiraku's Ramen bar. It took all his mental discipline not to shout at the top of his lungs that, as of next week, he would be the next Hokage. After finishing his meal, he then went to the Yamanaka florist shop, and bought a couple of daffodils. He walked around the village with a smile twice as big as usual. If somebody would ask him why he looked so happy, he just said:

"Because today is a great day, -dattebayo."

That was true. Not only had Tsunade told him about his new position in Konoha, he also was happy because he was going to meet with his girlfriend after almost three weeks of waiting. Of course, the fact that Tsunade-baachan's days were numbered was a bit of a dampener on his mood, but he still remained in high spirits. After a long walk through the village, he finally arrived at the place he had been going to. The memorial of the fallen shinobi. It held all the names of the ninja that had been killed in action. He was there to talk with his late teacher, godfather and friend, Jiraiya. He had been there for a while when his old sensei come. When Naruto saw Kakashi, his typical smile appeared in his face.

"Hi, Kakashi-sensei. I didn't think you'd come here so early. I was planning on leaving before you came here."

Kakashi looked at his ex-student. A lot of time had passed since they were on the same team. Since he became the right hand of the Fifth Hokage, he had not carried out as many missions as he used to. Naruto, on the other hand, had done so many missions that he held the record for most missions completed in one year. The young blonde had certainly become a strong ninja. Kakashi knew that Naruto had become even stronger than the three Sannin ever were, and Kakashi was very proud of him. He knew exactly why Naruto was here.

"You came here to tell Jiraiya-sama the big news, didn't you?"

"Yeah! I wanna tell him that I finally did it, and this is the only place where I can do that. But anyway, I heard what you did today in the council meeting. You uses that jutsu in the Elders, so they don't comebetween me and my new position as the new Hokage! That was great, -ttebayo! I never thought that you would use Danzo's jutsu in front of the Daimyo of the land of Fire."

Four years ago, not long after the last summit of the five Kage, Danzo, leader of Root, fought Kakashi on grounds of treason against Konoha. After Kakashi had defeated Danzo, he took the sharingan eye that Danzo had stolen, and then put it in his own sharingan eye. The result was a new and more powerful sharingan, and he had since learned how to use Danzo's power, which could control people's minds without their notice. The fact that Kakashi obtained that ability was an S-ranked secret, and very few knew of it. Only Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Shizune and Tsunade knew about it, and he intended to keep it that way.

"Would you please keep it down? We don't want everybody to know about it. But yes, I used it in the meeting, so the Elders wouldn't intervene with your succession."

Even through his mask, Naruto could tell that Kakashi was smiling. That smile… Naruto always felt curious about Kakashi's smile. Actually, he felt more than just curious about Kakashi's face. Back to the time of the Team 7, they had attempted de-mask him more than once, but Kakashi was just too good, and they had hardly been any competition to him. But that was no longer the case. Naruto was now an extraordinary shinobi, so if he really tried, maybe he could de-mask--

"Don't even think about it, Naruto." Kakashi's only visible eye sent him a cold glance, met by the hopeful eyes of Naruto. "You were thinking about trying to de-mask me again, weren't you?"

Naruto coughed a little and looked somewhere else, while Kakashi chuckled.  
"So, have you finished here?" Kakashi pointed at the memorial, and Naruto shook his head.

"Not yet. You interrupted me while I was talking to him."

Naruto put the flowers in front of the memorial, and started to talk.

"Hey ero-sennin, I finally did it. I promised you that I would become the next Hokage, and I did it. Tsunade no baa-chan told me that as of next week, I will be the Nanadaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Isn't that great? I know that you're watching over me from wherever you are, so please, watch me become the best Hokage this world has ever known, -dattebayo."

Kakashi couldn't help but smile. He knew that Naruto was the best candidate to be the next Hokage, and that he would do a great job. What Naruto just said sounded almost like a premonition. His own thoughts made him chuckle a little.

"Well, seems to me that you finished, right? Then why don't you go to her? I'm sure that you two have a lot of catching up to do, since you haven't seen each other much lately."

Naruto's face reddened and Kakashi laughed. It was the second time in the day that his words had made someone blush, and being able to cause that effect precisely in those two---

"You're right, Kakashi-sensei. She must be waiting, and I'm really anxious to see her. So, see you later!" Naruto ran in the direction of the village, while Kakashi stayed in his spot, watching his ex-student leave.

"It doesn't matter how much you grow up, Naruto. You always will be the noisy, troublesome boy that you were the first day we met." He pulled out his favourite novel. "Well, it seems that it's just you and me again, Icha Icha."

* * *

When Naruto finally arrived at his destination, it was already dark. He stood outside the front door of the big house, knocked on the door and waited for an answer, with a huge grin on his face. He had not visited this house for almost three weeks now- his last mission had taken a little more time than he had wanted.  
The two of them had been together for almost four years now. Naruto loved her so much that he wanted to spend every single moment with her; so much it ached to be away from her. Yes, it was true that since two months ago, they had been living together in his apartment, but Naruto understood why she kept coming to her father's house after every single mission; she loved it when he came to pick her up from her father's house. Their apartment was a little lonely when one of them was not there, so she liked to spend her time in the old house when Naruto was not around, and wait for him to pick her up. And Naruto liked it as well, because he enjoyed the company of her family.

Finally someone opened the door. Naruto was faced with a young jonin of only sixteen years, and her soft smile.

"Naruto-niichan is good to see you again! I heard that you were on a mission with team Ebisu, but it took you really long time to finish it. Was it that difficult?"

Hanabi Hyuuga welcomed him as warmly as always, and she invited him to come on in. Because of the traditional ways of her clan, Hanabi was polite, calm and collected with most people, but when Naruto, Hinata or that noisy friend of her were around, she enjoyed a more playful behaviour.

"Well, it wasn't really difficult. It just was an escort mission, but we found a couple of obstacles on the road that delayed us. That aside, it was kind of boring."

As they walked to the main living room, Naruto and Hanabi talked away. Two men, a twenty-two year old jonin, and an older man were enjoying their tea there.

"Ah, Naruto, good night." Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga clan, was drinking a cup of tea with his nephew Neji, who greeted him with a nod.

"Hiashi-sama, Neji, sorry for the intrusion. I just came back for a mission this afternoon. So, you were training together?" Naruto and Hanabi sat down next to the tea table with the two men, and started to chat away, while he waited for the real reason he was there that night.

"You're late, Naruto-kun. I was starting to think that you wouldn't be coming to pick me up." Hinata said, hugging him gently around the neck.

"Are you nuts, Hinata-chan? I would never do something like that!"  
Naruto kissed Hinata gently on the cheek, while she took a seat by his side. Everyone else looked at them with a smile on their faces, even the stern Hiashi. The two looked really happy together.

"Hey." Neji interrupted the tender moment, "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you forgot that Hiashi-sama is present in the room, too."

Naruto and Hinata look at Hiashi, who once again kept his characteristic stone face. Hinata was the first who speak.

"S-S-Sorry father, we didn't mean to be rude"

A hint of a smile crossed Hiashi's face.

"Don't worry, Hinata dear. I gave my blessings to your relationship with Naruto a long time ago, so it doesn't matter. But I have to remind you that, as the Hyuuga heiress, you have to mind your manners, Hinata." Then, he _glared_ at Naruto. "And you should keep your hands were I can see them, Naruto."

Naruto gulped. "As you say, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi's expression softened a little. "Well, then how was your mission, Hinata? I really want to know."

"Truthfully, Hinata-sama," Neji finally spoke "I understand that since you now are an ANBU, you are not allowed to tell us all the details. But at least tell us what kind of mission was."

Hinata smiled kindly. "Well, let's say that it was a mission against the enemies of Konoha..."

And soon, Hiashi, Hinata, Hanabi, Neji and Naruto begun to talk like the family they were now.

* * *

After half an hour or so of idle conversation, Naruto and Hinata decided that it was about time for them to go home. When they were far enough of the Hyuuga estate, Naruto grabbed Hinata firmly by the hips and kissed her with all the passion of a man who had been away from his love for the last three weeks. He really had missed her.

"N-Naruto, you're w-way to enthusiastic today. Wow, it's been a while since you kissed me that way. Did s-something good happen?" Hinata stammered a little, while her face was a deep shade of red by the sudden kiss that Naruto gave her. In the past, she would have fainted from that, but since they had been a couple for a long time now, she wasn't the same shy girl that she used to be.

"Don't blame me, honey. We haven't spent much time together lately, so I really missed you. But besides that, yeah, something really good happened. Guess who will be the nanadaime Hokage starting next week!" Naruto said to his girlfriend with his typical enthusiasm, smiling. The smile that saves her, that makes her want to become stronger, become confident, and become someone that he could love.

But in this moment, that smile was the less important thing. Her eyes were really opened for the surprise. She knew that being the Hokage was the ultimate goal in Naruto's life, so she couldn't help but start to cry in happiness.

"S-So you finally did it? You really did it?!" Naruto nodded. "Naruto, you did it! You are going to be Hokage! Tell me, when did Tsunade-sama tell you? How did she manage to convince the council? Is this really happening?! OH MY GOD, YOU DID IT! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

The tears would not stop coming, while Hinata hugged and kissed her boyfriend with all the love in the world. Naruto hugged her tightly, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

"Hey, calm down. You don't have to cry, this is good news!" His arms were wrapped around Hinata's body. She kept hugging him, crying tears of joy.

"It's not like I can't help it. It's just that I'm so proud of you, Naruto!" He put his lips on her forehead, hugging her tightly still.

"You know what? This is a night to celebrate: celebrate my new position, celebrate our reunion and start to celebrate my coming birthday. Though I would like to celebrate with all my friends, telling them the big news, I would like it a million times better to celebrate tonight with the girl I love. You know what that means, don't you, little sunshine?"

Hinata's face turned beet red again. She looked up to her boyfriend's face with a gentle, and yet at the same time seductive smile, understanding perfectly what he meant. "As you order, Hokage-sama."

TO BE CONTINUE...


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto - Five Years of Waiting (part 5)

Naruto belongs to Kishimoto (c)  
Story by Juan Manuel Suarez (me, of course)  
Grammar by Greatkingrat88 (who is awesome, BTW)

The sky was dark, and she could see but a little of the battle. After years of chasing him, the blonde shinobi was finally fighting his old friend. The hateful avenger had decided to take down Konoha, and all shinobi in it, once and for all. He was still fighting with all his strength; it was about training or rivalry no more. They where two faces of the same coin; love against hate, fire versus wind, Senju versus Uchiha. The young medic-nin could do nothing but stare in horror as her old teammates did their best to kill each other, showing no mercy or kindness. She witnessed, terrified, how the friend in which she had always believed stabbed out the right eye of the man she loved. The black-haired warrior screamed in pain, while his foe put him down on his knees.

"So this is the kind of peace that you're looking for, Naruto? A peace where you can be cruel enough to destroy the sharingan, and trample me like a piece of dirt?! You're just like Madara, using the peace as an excuse to be the monster that you really are!" Uchiha Sasuke screamed at his rival, in pain, trying to stop the bleeding from his right eye.

"I'm sorry for this Sasuke. I really am." Naruto grabbed his long-time friend by the hair of his head, and pulled him to his feet. "But you're the reason this war against the Akatsuki became the fourth Great Ninja War. You tried to kidnap the Hachibi, attacked the Kage's summit, tried to kill the Raikage, fought Gaara, fought the Mizukage, and on top of that, you tried to kill Sakura just to prove to me that you had severed all ties to us. Your hatred has corrupted you, and the worst part is that I don't want to do this. But you leave me no choice."

"Wait, no!" The young kunoichi tried to reach to Naruto, knowing and fearing what he was about to do.

"Uchiha Sasuke" He started, his voice trembling with rage and sorrow, trying desperately to hold back the tears running down his face. "You're an S-ranked missing-nin of Konohagakure no sato. You participated in various criminal activities, involving other S-ranked criminals, such as Orochimaru, and the organization known as Akatsuki".

"Please, Naruto, don't do it!" Sakura began to cry, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She wanted to stop the horror she was about to see, but knew she couldn't.

"So, you really are going to do it, Naruto? I guess that the 'I'm looking for peace in the Ninja world' thing is nothing but fancy words after all. You're as cruel as I am."  
The last Uchiha mocked his enemy, feeling his body refusing to respond. He was at the mercy of his enemy, but he was not worried. He was sure that the blonde fool would not- could not- do it.

"As a ninja of Konoha, I am obligated to take care of those who attempt to destroy the peace that we are trying to build. For that reason, I must kill you." The tears would not stop pouring out from Naruto's eyes. He was about to destroy the first bond he ever made.

"Please, Naruto! I'm begging you, don't kill him! There must be another way, there must!" She tried desperately to stop her friend. He was about to kill the man she loved, and she could do nothing to stop him.

"Make it quick, before I can gather my strength again." Sasuke said, feeling confident. He knew the blonde well, and he really believed that he would not do it. He had no idea of how wrong he was.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto said sadly, a river of tears running down his face. He took a kunai from his hip pouch, placed it in the neck of his enemy, and let it slice. "Farewell, Sasuke."

* * *

"STOP, NARUTO!" In her bed, Sakura awoke, shaken by the nightmare she just had. This dream had been haunting her ever since she saw Naruto kill Sasuke, and it seemed as if it was determined to keep disturbing her sleep. She had forgiven Naruto a long time ago, but for some reason, the dream kept repeating itself, over and over.

"Why this dream again? I don't get it!" Sakura began to cry. She still carried those affections; feelings for the man that hurt her so badly. "Why, Sakura? He hurt you, he was an ass towards you, and he died as the selfish bastard he was, and yet you love him?"

The pain in Sakura's chest made it impossible for her to go back to sleep again. "Enough. Tomorrow, you'll talk with Ino, and get over it. I just hope that I can find a way to forgive you completely, Naruto."

* * *

At another side of the village, it was already morning. Naruto woke up alone in his bed, the scent of his love still in the air. He smiled, remembering all the good things that had happened since yesterday. He yawned, and smiled even wider. He really had the greatest of lives. After a couple of minutes, he got up, put on some pants and followed the sweet smell of food that was coming from his kitchen. He and his girlfriend had bought this apartment right away, after they decided they should live together. It was not far from the Hyuuga estate, and that was most convenient, as she was the future leader of her clan. It was big enough to have a main room, a guest room, a rather big bathroom, a kitchen and the thing he enjoyed the most, a terrace where one could see a great part of Konoha in his greatest view. It was their apartment, and he loved it.

Naruto walked out to the main room, and was quickly drawn to the kitchen by the beautiful image of his girlfriend Hinata. Every morning, she would wake up before her boyfriend would, and she would always cook him breakfast. This morning, Hinata was dressed only in Naruto's regular shinobi's shirt. The dark blue long shirt reached about halfway down her hips, showing off a beautiful pair of legs, and she had her dark hair tied back in a ponytail. Naruto was charmed by the image, as he could not remember seeing something more erotic in all his life. He walked up close to Hinata, and grabbed her by the hips, hugging her firmly and kissing her on the neck.

"Naruto! You really scared me, dear." She scolded. "I thought you might like to sleep a little longer, so I didn't wake you up. What woke you?" Ever since they had gotten together those four years ago, and after living together for the past few months, Hinata had become more secure about her relationship with Naruto, replacing her typical shyness with a new sense of self-confidence.

"Nothing in particular, I guess. It's just that something smelled really good." Naruto, talking as if still half asleep, kept hugging his girlfriend tightly, talking softly in her ear, just the way she liked it. He couldn't help himself; she drove him crazy.

"Really? I'm just cooking some eggs and a little coffee for breakfast. Maybe I could cook you some ramen, but I think that you have to wai-" Hinata's words were suddenly interrupted by a passionate kiss. When Naruto let her go, she blushed a little, fanning the flames of Naruto's passion.

"I wasn't talking about food, -ttebayo." Right after Naruto said that, he began kissing her neck and back, while his hands slipped under her shirt.

She giggled. "Cut it out, Naruto, that tickles!" Hinata kept giggling, while her body began to respond to the gentle caress of his warm hands. "Was last night not enough?"

"I can never have enough of you, little sunshine. Besides, something tells me that you want it too." Naruto pinched Hinata's nipples and she moaned a little "See? This part is pretty honest. And your voice betrays you too."

"Naruto, p-please, stop, last n-night we-" giggles- "did it f-four times. Is just too early, and it tickles- ha ha ha ha-!" Hinata was enjoying this little game. Every time Naruto began to touch her, she just gave in. She loved the sweet and gentle touches, and the warm sensation of Naruto's hands all over her body, and the pleasure that came with all that. But it was just too early to _make love_ again, and her hips were still a little numb from all the action last night. It was time to be a little more _serious_. "Let me go, or no ramen for you this morning!"

"Eeeh?! No ramen?!" Naruto released her almost immediately; just to be sure he could have his portion of home-made ramen. He knew that she was just playing with him, but he would never take the risk of missing the ramen that Hinata cooked for him. Even though he loved the ramen at Ichiraku's, he had become addicted to the ramen that Hinata cooked. "You're a mean girlfriend, -ttebayo."

"You know that there's nothing further from the truth." Hinata kissed his nose softly, with a playful smile on her face. "Breakfast isn't ready yet, so why don't you say hi to everybody while you wait?"

"You're right, time to say hi!" Naruto opened the door that led to the terrace, dressed only in his pants and the bandage around his left shoulder and chest, took a deep breath and yelled: "IT'S MORNING ALREADY, KONOHA! TIME TO GET UP, EVERYBODY!"

It wasn't the first time Naruto did that, and the neighbors weren't surprised. A few of them were anything but happy with it.

"You're making too much noise, kiddo! We already know that, so stop yelling so early in the morning!" Kazuma Hiarashi, a sixty-three year old neighbor, was often upset by the strange behavior of the blonde Shinobi, but his wife would always scold him, since she found Naruto rather charming and funny.

"You old man, could you stop yelling at him? This kid may be the Hokage some day, so we have to show him some respect!" Mrs. Hiarashi and her husband began to argue, like they always did. Even with all their fights over nothing, they were a happy couple; something that their forty years of marriage could prove.

"There's no way that the knucklehead boy becomes Hokage, so we don't have to worry about being polite with him!" Kazuma replied stubbornly.

"HEY, HIARASHI-SAN! I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU!" Naruto, who heard all of the conversation from his terrace, decided that there was about time to let all of Konoha hear the big news, and turned his head just to see Hinata at his side smiling, as if she was saying: "I'm with you, so let's say it". She was right. It was time to speak up, to say it, to let Konoha know their new leader. "I, UZUMAKI NARUTO, WILL BE THE NANADAIME HOKAGE, STARTING NEXT WEEK!"

The surprise on Mr. and Mrs. Hiarashi's faces widened the smiles of Hinata and Naruto even further.

* * *

"He what?!"

In the Hokage's office, Shikamaru Nara was speechless. He had been one of the main assistants to Tsunade since he was fifteen years old, and had since been living a life a little more… exciting than he had wanted. He had been involved in many dangerous missions, many complicated issues, a lot of boring paperwork that the fifth Hokage often chose to ignore, and all that contributed to make his life much more troublesome than ever. Even so, he held no regrets in life. But at this moment, his boss was giving him a notice that surprised him more than anything had surprise him in all his life.

"I'm telling you that he will be the new Hokage, starting from his birthday. You seem upset somehow; perhaps you wanted the Hokage position for yourself?"  
Tsunade teased Shikamaru just a little. The look on his face was priceless. Shikamaru and Naruto had always been good friends, but since Asuma and Jiraiya's death, they had gotten even closer. Now, Naruto was one of his best friends, and hearing about his becoming the new Hokage took him by surprise.

"Being the Hokage? No thanks. It's way too troublesome, so whoever wants the position can have it. So, Naruto will be the Hokage, huh? I guess I'm a little happy for him." The genuine smile on Shikamaru's face betrayed him. He wasn't just _a little happy_; he was excited. He always knew that Naruto's vision of the world could lead everybody to an interesting future, and now he would have the power to bring about this new change. So yes, a _little happy_ did not exactly describe just how proud he felt of his friend.

"Perfect, because you know that he'll need reliable people by his side, and you are one of the closest friends that he has right now." Tsunade looked at Shikamaru; like she was teasing him

"You want me to keep working for the Hokage's office? What a drag. Just when I thought that I could free myself of hard work once you retired." Shikamaru answer with his characteristic lack of enthusiasm. He was well known as a lazy Shinobi, and he wasn't ashamed of that fact. "I just hope that he just leaves me the paperwork, and that's it."

"I really don't think that the Uzumaki kid would let you go so easy, son." At that moment, the previous jonin commander was entering for the door. Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru's father, had been one of Tsunade's most reliable men, and his ex-position as the second most important person in Konoha- just below the Hokage and the elders- was proof of the trust that the Fifth Hokage had in him.

"Don't say that, old man." Shikamaru looked his father with a rather annoyed look on his face. "I'm happy for Naruto and all, but I just don't see him picking me to be his right hand or something. I mean, he knows me well enough to know what kind of a lazy man I am."

"You'll never know. He is so slow, there's a tiny possibility that he'll just ignore your laziness!" Tsunade teased. It seemed that she had taken it up as her hobby this morning.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Godaime-sama. I have something else to do, so I'm out."  
Shikamaru took a cigarette from out his pocket, and went to the door, placing a hand on his father's shoulder to say goodbye. "I'll see you later, old man." And then he left the Hokage's office.

"That kid doesn't know how important he is to this village, does he?" Tsunade said, once Shikamaru had left the room. "He's just too lazy. But, like father, like son. Isn't that right, Shikaku?"

"Not at all, Godaime-sama." A proud smile appeared on Shikaku's face. "He is much more responsible than I was. After all, he's the one taking care of Asuma's boy."

"You're right. Well, it's time to for the meeting to begin. Shizune, Kakashi, come on in- immediately."

* * *

Kurenai Yuhi had not been this surprised in quite a while. Two months ago, a couple of young lovers moved close to where her apartment was. The girl used to be her student, and the boy was one of the shinobi that she had seen grow up. They were nice to her and her kid, and when they moved in close to her, they often came to play with little Kiseki. She had really grown attached to them, like she had grown attached to Shikamaru, the student of her late lover, Asuma Sarutobi. So when she heard the young man yelling out the big news at the top of his lungs, she could only feel happy for him.

"Hey, Naruto! If you're the Hokage, then who will baby-sit Kiseki when I'm on a mission and Shikamaru is busy?!" She shouted back, with a big grin on her face. Naruto often played pranks on her with Kiseki, and the kid loved that, so there was no real reason to be particularly formal towards him.

"Who says I wouldn't?! Once I am in Hokage's room, the kid can come and play with me whenever he wants, -dattebayo!"

Taking care of Kiseki was an amazing thing to Naruto. He first took some interest in the boy after Shikamaru, who was the self-proclaimed "Authentic tutor of Kiseki", asked him for a favour. Kiseki has just two years old back then. Kurenai was out on a mission, and Shikamaru wanted to baby-sit Kiseki, but had work to do. Kiba and Shino, the other students of Kurenai's, were on a tracking mission with Chouji, Hinata was busy training to become a fully capable member of the ANBU, and Shikamaru's work with the Fifth Hokage prevented him from caring for Kiseki the way he wanted to. To him, Kiseki was like a little brother, or a nephew. So Naruto, who had the week off from his Shinobi's duties, offered to take care of the little boy. At first he did it only to help Shikamaru, but as the time passed, he found he was growing attached to Kiseki, as with Konohamaru in the past. Now, he would take every opportunity to help.

"Really? I can go to play with you in the Hokage's office, Naruto-niichan?" A young and cheerful voice came, right behind where Kurenai was standing. Kiseki, a boy of only five years, was probably one of the most loved children in all of Konoha. As the son of Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi, he had all the members of Team Kurenai and Team Asuma all looking after him, and even "Captain Hero" -as some kids would often call Naruto- would gladly play with him.

"Of course you can, Kiseki-chan!" Hinata yelled to the kid from the terrace, following the Naruto, Kurenai and Kiseki's example. "Isn't that right, honey?"

"Hell Yeah, -ttebayo!" Naruto yelled. "You'll be the first guest in my new office, -dattebayo!"

"WILL YOU PLEASE JUST STOP IT WITH THE YELLING AND THE NOISE?!" Another voice was raised against all the yelling the entire neighborhood seemed to be involved in, followed by a rather loud bark. The man that just came had a rather rugged appearance, reminiscent of something feral. He had one red fang mark on each of his cheeks, and was riding on a gigantic white dog "Really, I just came to visit Kurenai-sensei, and I find all of you making a fuss so early in the morning! You're just annoying."

"Don't say that, Kiba-kun. It's just that this is a happy morning." Hinata, who was hiding the lower part of her body behind Naruto- she was in a high place, wearing _only a shirt_- smiled kindly to her ex-teammate and brother of the heart. "Why don't you come here, and visit us too?"

"Sounds like a plan." Kiba smiled back at her, with his usual playful attitude, and mocked the couple a little. "I'll be in Kurenai-sensei's house while you take a bath and get well dressed. I can tell from here you two stink right now!"

"HEY!" Naruto yelled one more time "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TELL US THAT WE STINK???"

That was the kind of morning everybody liked. But even in times such as these, there were people who did not share the calm the village enjoyed. And they were hidden in the shadows at this very moment, observing the peaceful life in Konoha with disgust.

"I think that we have plenty of data about him. We'd better hurry and inform our leader about all we have learned. It's time for us to make the move, in order to finish the revolution that Danzo-sama begun. We won't fail you, Danzo-sama."

TO BE CONTINUE...


End file.
